The Cursed Oak
by PhantomPurpleWolf
Summary: when merlin and arthur are out hunting, the come across a tree with the number 37 carved into it. in doing so, they unwittilngly invoke an ancient curse that will all sorcerers, and Camelot forever. can this ancient evil be beaten? (t coz im paranoid) NO SLASH.
1. Chapter 1

SO, FIRST ATTEMPT AT A MERLIN FANFIC, SO...YEAH.

AND IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MIGHT WANT TO CHECK OUT BLUE TURTLE OF AWESOMENESS. HER STUFF IS COOL.

* * *

Merlin raced after the horse, tripping over tree roots as the straps of the bag dug into his shoulders. Arthur had long since overtaken him, and the fact that Merlin had only just woken up didn't help, either. This was another of the famous Arthur Pendragon spontaneous hunting trips, and he had only had enough time for a few mouthfuls of Gaius' porridge before setting off. The chesnut horse came to a halt, waiting only until the servant was within a few feet, before setting off again. Merlin cursed under his breath as he sped up. Why did Arthur have to do this _every _time?

The prat.

The chesnut horse stopped once more by a towering oak tree, but instead of proceeding further into the woods, the rider slid off to peer at something. Merlin finally caught up, curious to see what was so intruiging that it would delay the possibility of catching deer.

"Merlin," said Arthur, pointing at the tree. "what do you make of this?"

"The tree? Well, sire, with the right tools I could make a table..."

"Not the _tree, _you clot-pole. _That."_ He pointed at something carved into the trunk. Gouged into the wood was "XXXVII".

"That? That's Roman numerals, sire."

"I know _that, _dunderhead, but why is the number 312 carved into a tree?"

"You're the one who's a dunderhead. That says 37, not 312."

"Yes, _Mer_lin, but why is it carved on a tree in _my forest?" _

"Don't know, sire. It's your forest."

"I used to think you were wise in some deep and hidden way, Merlin." said Arthur, putting his had on Merlin's shoulder.

"But now I realise that you're just a complete and utter _prat._" Arthur went back to his horse with Merlin following him, not wanting to be left behind again. He mounted the horse, and as he did so a wailing sound filled the air.

"What was that?" asked Merlin, ready to use his magic.

"What was what?"

"That wailing noise..."

Arthur stared at him like he was insane.

"I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm worried, but I think that there's something wrong with you, Merlin. I didn't hear anything. Now hurry up or we'll return to Camelot with no deer." Merlin followed the chesnut horse which was now going considerably slower. As soon as he got near it, the horse stopped dead in its tracks. The animal bolted, leaving Arthur lying on the ground moaning.

Merlin shivered as he felt it in his bones. There was _magic _involved. _Evil _magic.

* * *

DUM DUM DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUM! NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE UP SOON, REMEMBER TO CHECK OUT SOME OF MY OTHER STUFF AND REVIEW, COZ REVIEWS MAKE ME HAPPEEEEEEEEEE!

KTHXBYE

PURPLEWOLF THE FIRST


	2. the mirror girl

PURPLE WOLF ROX IS BACK! AND AWESOMER THAN EVER!

NEARLY AS AWESOME AS HILOUSIFER THE VOODOO DOLL WHO LIVES IN A DREAMCATCHER AND TALKS TO ME AT NIGHT...

OKAY, CREEPINESS OVER, IN SHORT, I ROCK, HILOUSIFER ROCKS, AND IM A POTATO. ON WITH THE STORY!

* * *

Merlin sat at the wooden table, staring gloomily at the many bottles and herbs surrounding him.

Something had happened in those woods. Something _evil._

He stared at the many knives in front of him, and picked one at random.

He absent-mindedly carved a long scratch in the wood.

Then another.

Red mist started to creep in at the edges of his vision...

another scratch.

Everything in the room was the colour of blood...

another scratch.

All that he could see was the red.

another scratch...

black.

* * *

Merlin awoke on the floor of the physician's quarters. Everything was a mess.

Pieces of parchment were strewn all over the floor. A luminous-green liquid had escaped through a crack in the bottle and was gradually eating into the floor. Furniture had been knocked over, pictures torn down.

Merlin stood up, supporting himself on the table, and gasped at the sight.

Carved into the ebony was "XXXVII".

Thirty-seven.

* * *

Merlin walked down the corridors of the castle, on the way to the king's chambers. He was still unnerved by what had happened yesterday, but he tried to push it to the back of his mind.

He caught sight of himself in a mirror.

Behind him stood a girl with hazel eyes and light-brown hair. Her skin was deathly pale.

He turned, but nobody was there.

As soon as he turned his attention back to the mirror, the girl returned.

She smiled a vicious smile. Her teeth were strangely sharp, and there was an expression of victory, pride and loathing on her face as she put her hand on his shoulder...

* * *

Arthur Pendragon opened his eyes, wating for the daily call of "Morning, sire" from his servant. It didn't come.

The curtains were still closed, most unusual for this time of day.

He dressed and went along the corridors to the physician's chambers to find Merlin.

Halfway along the corridor, lying on the floor, was Merlin.

"Wake up, you clotpole." hissed Arthur, gently nudging him with his boot.

His eyes didn't open.

"_Merlin!" _Hissed Arthur, louder this time, and nudging him harder.

He still didn't wake up.

"_Gaius!" _called Arthur, racing down the corridor.

* * *

I WOULD HAVE PUT MORE, BUT...YEAAHH, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A BIT REPETITIVE SO I DECIDED TO SAVE IT FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER. DONT FORGET TO LOOK UP IGNORANCE BY PARAMORE ON YOUTUBE, COZ I FIND IT PRETTY MUCH SUMS UP ARTHUR PENDRAGON AND HIS HATE FOR MAGIC.

SEE YAZALL NEXT TIME

PURPLEWOLF THE FIRST


	3. Isabel Scanlon

MEEP!

AS YOU CAN GUESS, I HAVE RETURNED.

AND I AM AWESOMER THAN EVAAAAAAAAAAR!

WEIRDNESS OVER...ON WITH THE STORY!

AND ALSO SOZ BOUT PUTTING IN THE WRONG CHAPTER YESTERDAY. FIXED IT NOW THO! THIS IS DEFINETELY THE RIGHT ONE. I THINK...

* * *

Merlin opened his eyes.

He was in his room in the physicians chambers.

Gaius appeared by his side, face full of concern.

"Merlin?"

"Yes, Gaius?"

"What happened this morning?"

"I don't know, I...I saw this girl in the mirror, and..."

"A girl in the mirror?" Gaius had turned pale. "What did she look like?"

"Well, she was really pale, and her teeth were sharp, like a fox or something..."

Gaius gasped.

"No...no, this isn't happening...not _her..."_

"Who?"

"This is something I should have told you about years ago. You must be the only warlock who doesn't know of the curse.."

"What curse?"

"The curse of Isabel Scanlon."

"I've heard that name before...I think Uther might have mentioned her once..."

"Isabel Scanlon was falsely accused of witchcraft, Merlin. They burned her. She hated magic, and with her last breath cursed all warlocks and sorcery. Before they burned her, she was allowed one last walk through the forest. There, she carved the number thirty-seven into a tree, and the first to discover that tree and read the numerals would release the curse."

Merlin remembered the strange tree yesterday...but...Arthur had read it first...hadn't he?

"Why thirty-seven?" asked Merlin, although he already knew the answer.

"It's the number of living warlocks. She plans to kill them all one by one."

"How?"

"She has possessed you, Merlin. She has helped herself to your magic." Gaius was about to explain further, but Merlin had sunk down, unconcious...

* * *

Peredur was lying under a tree, watching the clouds, when he saw her.

The girl flickered, not quite real...

"You're a fish." she said, dreamily yet sinisterly. Peredur had one second to think, to identify this stranger.

His blood turned cold.

It couldn't be her...nobody had read the numerals...it _had _to be someone else...

* * *

The first thing Isabel Scanlon thought about when she saw the warlock was fish.

She could _see _his magic.

It glimmered. That was the only word for it. Like _scales..._

Was this how Merlin saw things? The young warlock who's magic she had stolen...

He was trying to fight her, she was sure of that. But he was powerless.

What use would some servant-boy be against years of pent-up hatred?

About as much use as a wooden sword.

She saw the warlock under the tree move, ready to use his magic.

He was _fast._

But not fast enough...

* * *

FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISH!

IDK WHY I PUT THAT IN, REALLLY...

AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE SERIOUS ARTHURIAN LEGEND GEEKS (I MEAN _YOU, _BLUE TURTLE OF AWESOMENESS!) WHO WILL KNOW WHO PEREDUR IS, I REAALLY CBA TO THINK UP ANOTHER NAME.

VALE (THATS LATIN BTWS)

DA WOLF.


	4. Fire

JUST TO CLARIFY, I DONT OWN MERLIN OR ANY OF THAT STUFF. JUST REALISED THAT I DIDNT ACTUALLY SAY THAT COZ I NORMALLY PUT IT IN THE FIRST THEN FORGET ABOUT IT...

ON WITH THE RANDOMNESS AND EVILNESSS *GOLLUM GOLLUM*

* * *

It couldn't have happened.

It shouldn't have.

But it had.

And nothing could change that now.

All because of Arthur and his _stupid _decision to leave earlier than normal.

Why couldn't he have just _ignored _the tree? Then the curse would have faded, and reappeared as normal without disturbance.

Now Merlin was doomed to die. Even in the midst of his loathing for Arthur, part of him still blamed himself. If only he had agreed with Arthur, that it was indeed three hundred and twelve, not thirty seven?

But it was too late for If Only now.

A warlock was dead. And it was all his fault.

He hadn't killed Peredur. Merlin kept telling himself that.

But deep down, he knew the awful truth.

He may not have been the one to watch the warlock die, but it had been _his _magic. He _had _been there.

The awful truth was that he _had _killed Peredur.

Murdered him.

Merlin didn't want to dress it up with a fancy word, or even attempt to convince himself that it was something else. The blatant reality of what he had done cut like a sword in his side, too sharp to ignore, yet blunt enough to crush any hope that was left.

The grey drizzle matched his mood. Gwaine passed him in the courtyard, glimpsing the serving boy standing by the stables.

"You shouldn't stand out here in the rain, Merlin. You'll catch your death of cold."

_It won't make any difference _thought Merlin _I'm going to die anyway. _

Gwaine shrugged and walked away when there was no response.

"You haven't been yourself lately, Merlin." he said, before leaving the courtyard.

_but who am I? _thought Merlin _Emrys, saviour of sorcerers. _He let out a hollow laugh. _Some saviour._

* * *

Isabel Scanlon peered into the depths of the mind she had taken. She was looking for something, _anything,_ to double her control. What she found was far, far better. She cackled when she realised what it meant.

_One less to kill, then. _She thought.

He was _Emrys..._

* * *

The people of Peredur's village watched as the body was lowered into the ground. The soil was pushed back into the hole, leaving a fresh mound. They turned back towards the village, not ready for what they saw.

The village was _burning. _

But that wasn't the worst of it. Several people were bursting into flame, no time to even scream before they were incinerated. They were the ones that Peredur had healed...

Only three were left, two of them mere children, the third one of the oldest in the village.

They looked into the fire that had claimed their village, but only one of them saw the true horror.

Rising from the flames was a shape...a _person, _tied to a stake, screaming in pain, the face all too familiar.

A face that the once chief witchfinder never thought he would see again.

The firey apparition turned, her bonds falling away.

She reached out a hand, smiling wickedly.

"I've been _waiting _for this..." she laughed. "I've been saving the worst for _you..."_

* * *

DUM DUM DUUUUUUUUUUUM! WHERE WILL THE EVILNESS STRIKE NEXT? PEEPS WHO REVIEW GET VIRTUAL CUPCAKES, PEEPS WHO DON'T GET VIRTUAL ORANGES THROWN AT THEM AT GET SLAPPED IN THE FACE WITH A VIRTUAL FISH!

OKAAAY...SOZ FOR RANDOM CALIGULA/ FIFTH ELEPHANT MOMENT THERE.

SO YEAH, JUST REVIEW, COZ REVIEWS MAKE ME HAPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

PURPLEWOLF THE FIRST


	5. A dangerous influence

AFTER A BRIEF IDENTITY CRISIS, AND AN INSASNITY FIT AFTER REALIZING THE AMOUNT OF CRUD ROUND THE COMPUTER ("A GENIUS CANNOT WORK IN THESE CONDIDTIONS!) I HAVE FINALLY SORTED OUT MY MESSED UP MIND ENOUGH TO GET ON WITH THE NEXT CHAPTER!

DON'T LISTEN TO BANANA PEPPERS AS THE WHEATIES HAVE BLOWN UP THE NARROWBOAT.

* * *

"Merlin!"Arthur announced gleefully "We're going hunting again!"

"But..." Merlin stuttered "It's five in the _morning_!"

"And who woke me up at four thirty?"

"You, told me to, sire."

"No, _Mer_lin. I told you to wake me up early _if I needed to! _I expect you to be ready outside in...five minutes."

Merlin knew he couldn't argue, but he _really _didn't want to see the tree again...

* * *

The tree had changed.

It no longer read thirty-seven.

It was _glowing _as well.

"There's only one explanation for this." said Arthur, glaring at the tree "_Magic." _He spat the word like it was poison.

"Why _do _you hate magic?"

_Damn. __I _really _shouldn't have said that. _Merlin silently cursed his stupidity.

"_Magic." _said Arthur, slowly and deliberately. "_Killed _my father! I'm only doing whats _right _by taking swords to the evil! It's the only way we have to stop them!"

Merlin had to bite his tongue to stop himself mentioning Balinor and Freya. _He couldn't know._

What he said instead was far, far worse.

"And _you _always do whats right, do you?"

"I _do_ what has to be _done!"_

" And you _had _to leave earlier than normal on Monday? By doing that, you have single-handedly doomed us all!"

"What is _wrong _with you Merlin? Ever since we found that bloody tree you've been a total stranger!"

"Well it's nice to meet you, then. Whoever you _really _are. Are you the peoples king, who makes all the "right choices"? Or are you the one who's running scared from the real world and doesn't know the reason behind _anything _he does?" Merlin ran back through the forest, tears streaming down his cheeks.

_What had he just done? _

* * *

Gaius heard the door slam, and someone run up the stairs.

A second door slammed.

_Merlin. _

Isabel's influence was stronger. Especially if he had been near that tree...

She was forcing him to make bad choices, manipulating him to make him weaker and weaker. Until...

The prospect was too terrible to think about.

Gaius made his way up the steps, nearing the door.

"Merlin?"

"No! I am not going to talk to anyone, or leave this room for the rest of _today, _or tomorrow, or the rest of the _month, _or EVER AGAIN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!"

"_Merlin, _I need you to listen! What number was on the tree?"

Silence. And then...

"Thirty-four."

* * *

DUM DA DUM DUM DUUUUUUUUUUM! ALSO, I PROBS WONT BE ABLE 2 GO ON FANFICS FOR 3 DAYS, COZ OF THE FAIRPORT FESTIVAL! 3 DAYS OF LOUD MUSIC AND AWESOME HATS ! VILLAGE IS IN LOCKDOWN...NOBODY IN, NOBODY OUT...IN OTHER WORDS, TRAFFIC IS KILLER. GOING TO HAVE TO WALK 2 MILES IN THE FRIGGIN DARK! ALSO SOZ FOR USING SO MUCH ITALICS, BUT IT WAS ONE OF THOSE CHAPTERS.

CIAO 4 NOW

PURPLEWOLF THE MENTAL


	6. power regained

IM BACK!

AND ADDICTED TO A HAT, IF THAT IS EVEN POSSIBLE...

I SHOULD REALLY STOP WEARING IT. IT MAKES MY HEAD LOOK LIKE A CONKER...

BUT ITS SO AWWWWWWWWWESOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMEEE EE!

YES, BUT I SHOULD STOP

NO I SHOULDNT

YES I SHOULD...

NO I SHOULDNT...

YOUR TALKING TO YOURSELF!

NO IM NOT...

RIGHT, IM TAKING AWAY THE HAT...

OKAY. I DONT NEED IT.

YOUR IN DENIAL.

NO IM NOT.

NOW YOUR DENYING YOU'RE IN DENIAL...

NO IM NOT...

NOW YOU'RE DENYING YOU'RE DENYING YOU'RE IN DENIAL. THATS JUST STUPID!

IM NOT STUPID! I HAVE AN IQ OF 140! THATS GOOD FOR 12! AND THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IS 104!

I KNOW! WE'RE THE SAME PERSON! YOU'RE TALKING TO YOURSELF AGAIN!

NO IM NOT...

*FACEPALM*

UMMM...OKAY, I DONT KNOW WHAT JUST HAPPENED THERE, SO I'LL JUST CARRY ON WITH THE STORY...

* * *

Isabel Scanlon was _not _having a good day.

First, her tree had been cut down.

Second, it had turned out that Emrys was immortal.

_Immortal._

That just wasn't _fair._

There was a way to kill him. Emrys was only immortal if he had the will to carry on living. She had taken care of _that _by making him argue with all his friends, and turning them against him.

It had been perfect.

Just enough time to kill the rest, and one final argument would have ended it.

But then that stupid physician had to go and ruin everything by _telling _him he was immortal.

Now Merlin was so irritatingly _happy. _If he didn't have dignity,she was certain he would have started _skipping. _

And to add insult to injury, it was making her lose her grip on his soul.

How was she to know that what she carved in stone would be so temporary?

Possessing people was supposed to be _easy. _

He would be able to save the warlocks now, too.

And the pathetic little city of Camelot.

Third, she was having a reality crisis as well.

Was she the _real _Isabel Scanlon?

Or was she just a shadow of her former self...

Why did all have to be so _confusing? _

She was fed up of being somewhere on the periphery of being real, but not unreal enough to be a figment of her own imagination.

She wanted to be _real. _

Somewhere in the depths of her subconcious, these thoughts triggered a chain of events that would bring death and destruction.

The last vestiges of the magic she could hold on to flared.

Her grip doubled for one fatal second.

Emrys' power was hers.

Inside Camelot, Merlin felt a weight lift from his mind.

Outside the city, a girl walked through the gates, smiling strangely and giggling like a lunatic.

Why hadn't she just thought of this before?

Everyone was too absorbed in their everyday lives to notice a tower of flame rise far in the east.

She was back in control now.

And this time she was _unstoppable..._

* * *

COOL, HUH?

ANYHOOS, APOLOGIES FOR HAVING AN IDENTITY CRISIS IN MY EARLIER NOTES.

ALSO, CHECK OUT KINGDOM OF STARS BY REDDRAGON009. ITS AWESOME.

SEEY'ALL NEXT TIME!

PURPLEWOLF THE FIRST THE SECOND THE FIFTH THE NINTH THE FOURTEENTH THE SEVENTH THE TWELFTH THE SEVENTY SIXTH THE TWENTY SECOND THE FIFTY FIRST THE THIRD THE FIRST!


	7. armageddon

ALAS, I FEAR THE END IS NEAR!

BUT IM STILL GONNA TRY AND DRAG IT OUT TO DRIVE Y'ALL MENTAL! ;)

PROBS GONNA GET TO BOUT TEN CHAPTERS, MAYBE.

AND RE: THE NAME CHANGE. I GOT BORED, AND PHANTOMPURPLEWOLF JUST SOUNDED SO MUCH COOLER!

ALSO, I DO NOT OWN MERLIN, AS HYPERACTIVE WOLVES CANNOT MAKE CLAIMS TO TV SHOWS.

* * *

In a distant corner of the world, fire burned.

Somewhere else, people screamed and ran from the advancing destruction.

Armageddon.

At least for anyone or anywhere magical.

The legendary stone circle was consumed by fire, stones falling down into the middle. Only half was left standing.

The cave that the dragonlord Balinor had lived in crumbled to dust in the unbearable heat.

Warlocks were killed. Homes destroyed.

The list had narrowed itself down drastically. Two days ago, the tree would have read thirty four.

Now it would have read one.

It _did _read one.

Gaius knew that he shouldn't have kept the piece of tree. It should have been burned like the rest of it. But he had to know...

Merlin didn't. He still thought that there were thirty four living warlocks, and that Isabel Scanlon was well and truly dead.

The physician hated lying to him. _It's for his own good, _Gaius told himself, _If he find's out, it will kill him. _

But he couldn't lie for much longer. Merlin's magic had left a strong enough imprint on Camelot for it to be destroyed. But why was it still standing?

Gaius realized with a sickening jolt.

_She was in Camelot. _

That was why she hadn't burned it yet. She would be waiting at a safe distance when the flames began.

She would have killed Merlin first, to make sure he couldn't stop her...

_Merlin would die today..._

* * *

Merlin walked down the corridor, unaware of his terrible fate.

At that moment, he felt a change in the air.

_Someone was behind him..._

He felt hands pushing him forwards, and he fell towards the mirror...

_Through _the mirror...

He landed on his knees, staring around the strange room.

A figure appeared in front of him, face obscured, but he already knew who it was...

_Isabel Scanlon. _

* * *

OKAY, SO ITS LOOKING TO BE MORE LIKE NINE, BUT WHO CARES?

OH, AND SORRY ITS SO SHORT AND ALL THAT, BUT THAT JUST FELT LIKE THE RIGHT PLACE TO STOP, YAKNOW?

ANYHOO, SEE YA NEXT TIME!

PHANTOMPURPLEWOLF (FORMERLY PURPLE WOLF ROX)


	8. Crocodile Tears (co-written wik anutha)

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO PENULTIMATE CHAPTER! SERIOUSLY. AND YES, THIS SHALL BE A DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEATHFIIIIIIIIIIIC! ( I AM VERY SADISTIC. IF I DON'T KILL A CHARACTER IN SOMETHING I WRITE, THERE'S SOMETHIG WRONG WITH ME.)

ET AUSSI, OUR VILLAIN WILL BE VERY CLICHE IN THIS CHAPTER.

ALSOOOOOOOO I DONT OWN MERLIN, AS A) I DONT HAVE ANY LINKS TO THE BBC AND B) DOES ANYONE ON THIS WEBSITE?

**PS, Blue Turtle of AWESOMENESS here! I am totally helping out on this chappie. Also, check out mi stories, they're good, arent they, wolfy?**

*SIGH* YES.

* * *

He was kneeling a cold stone floor. His knees hurt, his head was pounding, and merely three feet away stood his imminent death.

"I've been waiting for this." she hissed, pacing the chamber. Her image was duplicated in the many mirrors lining the walls. "Of course, killing Uther as well would have been a bonus, but unfortunately _someone _seems to have beaten me to it." She smiled, oddly sweetly. But it was deadly, taunting.

"That was Morgana!" he protested "She...she...I don't know what she did, but it was her that killed Uther, not me!"

"If this "Morgana" wasn't magical, I'm sure we'd get on very well. Has anybody told you," she breathed, "how I died? The whole story, of course. From the very beginning." She grinned, and pointed to one side of the mirror wall. Immediately, silhouettes appeared, and Merlin realised: these shadows were telling her story, acting out the events.

Merlin saw one, clearly her, and another...oh, no...Peredur...and...Peredur was muttering an incantation. Isabel-in-the-mirror was sitting, looking awed, as a fiery horse arose and danced around her. She looked different, younger, happier...Peredur hugged her and twirled her around.

"Perry, don't do that!" she giggled.

"What, this?" Peredur laughed, and twirled her again.

"Peredur was...your friend?" Merlin whispered. Isabel looked..._sad_.

"Yes. He was my mentor. My village was attacked, and he found me and raised me as his own. I knew he had magic, I protected it. He was a warlock. I knew all about warlocks. I wanted to be magic. But then...I saw the truth..."

Isabel and Peredur in the mirror watched the horse a bit longer, before a shout.

"Magic! Magic, I saw it! HELP! WE ARE BEING ATTACKED!"

A group of people ran out from the trees. "Magic! Did you see the beast who did this?"

Both Peredur and Isabel paled considerably. "No..."

"No." A cold voice coming from a burly, dark man. He stepped to the front. "One of them is a monster. One of them did it."

"No! No!" Isabel cried, a tear streaking down her face. "Don't take - "

"Her! She did it! She's a witch! She's _evil!" _Peredur blurted, pointing an accusing finger at her. Isabel stared at him blankly, then realised what had just been said. Even more tears burst over her eyelids, etching rivers of sadness down her cheeks. She didn't scream, or protest. All she did was hang her head and whisper:

"_I thought I trusted you, Perry." _before the rest of the villagers whisked her away. And after he stared at her like she was a stranger, she did scream. She screamed and screamed, the sound echoing all around.

The real Isabel had matching streaks of tears down her face.

"I was nine years old." she breathed, watching the figures in the mirror disappear.

Merlin was shocked. How could someone do that to a child simply to save their own skin?

The scene changed, showing her held captive. The night outside was dark, owls hooting in the blackness. Two guards stood by the door, watching her closely. Nine-year-old Isabel was hunched in a corner, absent-mindedly turning a knife in her fingers, murmuring "_Thirty seven..."_ over and over again. One of the guards marched over and took the knife, tucking it into his belt. She looked up wide eyed, then bowed her head again.

A few minutes passed in total silence, then she began muttering.

"_By the power of witching hour,  
At the moment of my death a curse will be placed,  
so that my vengeful spirit will rise,  
and this village will burn."_

"How naive was I?" said present-day Isabel, "I thought that maybe if I threatened them enough, scared them a bit, then they'd let me live!" she laughed, sounding slightly hysterical. "The old superstition..._The power of witching hour..._all the village would say "a simple wish at darkest night will be enough to make things right. " Nobody said that it would actually _work. _Nobody said that it wasn't just what you wished out loud, either."

The mirror's surface morphed once more, showing her tied to a stake with flames licking at her dress. Her screams would make anyone want to run and help her, but the villagers just looked on stone faced. All except Peredur. He stood at the back, tears threatening to spill over his eyelids.

"_I'm sorry, Issy..." _he whispered before the little girl was consumed by the fire.

"NO! NO, YOU'RE NOT! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU..._I hate you...I...hate..._you will be the first one..." She coughed, the red flames licking at her flesh before the smoke was inhaled, and she was killed.

Present-day Isabel sighed and waved her hand dismissively, making the images dissappear. She conjured a chair out of mid-air and sat down, resting her head on her hand.

"I always wanted magic." she said wistfully , smiling slightly, but it didn't reach her eyes "I guess I finally got what I wanted." Her brown eyes flashed gold, making the air ripple. "Ironic, isn't it? How I spend my whole life waiting for it, I finally get it in death, and now I don't know what to do with it."

"Then...if it's like that, can't you just give it back, and let us out?"

A tear spilled out of her eyes. "I...I can't. I can't. I want to, Merlin! I am so sorry for what I did, I wasn't in control...but I can't."

He believed her. Her face was so young, scarred yet innocent. She bit her lip. "We can't leave."

And Merlin stopped. "No. Arthur..."

He ran at the mirrors.

"ARTHUR! ARTHUR, NO!"

But then he was falling. He was falling down far...and suddenly, he was back where he started. The tree. The tree with XXVII. Except, it did not have those letters.

A young girl with brown curly hair was laughing. "Pewedur! Pewedur! Look at thith! It'th a twee!"

Peredur laughed. "Yes. It's a tree. Remember what I told you about warlocks and High Priestesses, little one?"

"Magic!" Isabel lisped.

"Yes, Issy. Magic."

He drew out a knife, and began to carve. X...X...V...I...I.

"That is how many there are of warlocks, little one. Every time the number changes, one has come or one has died."

"Who?"

"The warlocks? Well, there are not many High Preistesses, but...there is one in Lot's kingdom, one in Cenred's, and in Ealdor, the great Emrys!"

"Can I see him?"

"When he and you are older, Issy. In time, I promise he will grant you magic..."

Merlin watched, a ghost of a smile on his face. He had been in Ealdor? She was older than he tho-

He gasped, and looked down. A blade was in his stomach.

"He kept that promise. You did grant me magic. Pity it was so short, Emrys. I won't be seeing you. I'll tell your king," Issy hissed. Merlin fell to his knees.

The last thing he saw was her smirking face. _Forgive me, Arthur... _he thought, before his world was one of darkness...

* * *

**Yay! Blue Turtle of AWESOMENESS here. I actually wrote most of this chapter, told what to do by wolf. So yeah! You like mi style? **

**My story is called Falling with Shadows and the Dark Before the Light. Look out for 'em! **

**I gtg now. See ya, peeps! :D xx**

ACTUALLY, I WROTE QUITE A LOT LAST NIGHT. BToA EDITTEDDDDDDDDD. AND ADDED A COUPLE OF FINGS. AND...YEAH.

TWO MORE 2 GO, AND C U NXT TIME!

WOLFIE XX


	9. endgame

_ACTUAL _PENULTIMATE CHAPTER!NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

OKAY, I LIED ABOUT THE LAST ONE. CHAPTER 8 WAS THE _PENULTIMATE _PENULTIMATE CHAPTER.

AND THIS CHAPTER IS NOT GOING TO BE CO-WRITTEN.

I DO NOT OWN MERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRLIN. OR MERLIN, FOR THAT MATTER.

* * *

Merlin opened his eyes.

Was this death? Or just the calm inbetween? He was back in the mirror room, or at least a shadow of the mirror room, and Isabel Scanlon was nowhere to be seen. He stood up, carefully watching the mirror in front of him to make sure that she wasn't behind him with the knife.

His reflection didn't stand up. As Merlin stepped closer to the mirror, he saw the reflection gradually get up and walk closer too. It was a total double...except the eyes were pure gold.

The air changed again, and Scanlon appeared next to him.

"WHY DO YOU HAVE TO RUIN EVERYTHING?" she shreiked, tears of anger running down her face, "IT WAS ALL PERFECT! DAMN YOU TO ALL HELL, EMRYS!"

_She wasn't talking to him, _Merlin realized. _She was talking to the mirror. _

"I refuse to stand by and watch myself be killed!" said his reflection, the golden eyes flaring with hatred. "I need to protect Arthur! To help him bring Albion!"

The reflection was _Emrys? _

"Well if it means that much to you, then you can watch Arthur _die!" _

The scene behind his reflection changed...

* * *

"Gwaine!" called Arthur, "Where's Merlin? You haven't taken him to the tavern again, have you?"

"No. He's been missing since this morning! And you _know_ that the tavern isn't open in the mornings!" replied the curly-haired knight.

"This isn't like him. He didn't even show to do his normal annoying curtain-opening-before-I'm-ready-to-get-up routine. To make matters worse, half of the knights seem to have dissappeared with him."

At that moment, Percival decided to show.

"There you are, Percival! I was starting to-"

"Sire," interuppted Percival, "you _really _need to see this!"

* * *

Merlin could see firey wraiths circling the city. He recognized some of them. They were the ones he'd seen die...

The knights and people of Camelot were stood there with buckets of water trying to douse the flames.

It only made the wraiths angrier.

He saw Arthur run to the wall of fire, accompanied by Gwaine and Percival. He was shouting at them. No...not at them...to someone else...he was screaming now...

"MERLIN! MERLIN! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?"

_No. He's going to die and it's all my fault...he's going to die looking for _me...

The wraiths were advancing, the circle gradually getting tighter and tighter, the flames getting hotter...Merlin could feel the heat, and he was only watching...

One by one the people fled to the city centre, their courage failing. The knights stayed, but only because Arthur was there.

This was it. The endgame.

* * *

Gaius was still in the physician's chambers. He had been instructed to. After all, as the guards had said, they couldn't afford an injured physician in this situation. The piece of tree was still there. It still read one. There was still time. But not time enough.

This one piece of wood was the cause of everything. This was the reason Camelot was under attack now. If he had left it to be destroyed, then none of this would have happened.

Merlin would not die.

Nobody would die.

He picked up the wood and threw it onto the floor. He wanted to obliterate it, to smash it to a thousand pieces. Anything to destroy her power...so long as he never had to look at it again...

He siezed a chair, and raised it above his head...

* * *

Isabel began to scream. Mirrors began to break. Shards of glass fell from the cieling, slicing gashes into Merlin's arms as he raised them up to defend himself...

She knew it was over. She couldn't win. But she still smiled maliciously.

"You know what they say, Merlin!" she cackled, "_Dying dragons are fiercest just before the end!" _

He gazed on in horror as the wraiths morphed into one. They were going to explode...to destroy anyone close enough...

The remaining people were running now. They knew there was nothing they could do.

They were nearly there...they were going to be safe...

But Arthur stumbled and fell to the ground, and none of the knights noticed their king fall behind...

* * *

Arthur scrabbled at the earth, trying to put as much distance between him and the flames as possible.

The wraiths exploded then, rushing forwards at alarming speed...

But then there was a haze in front of him, like someone invisible had put themself in the path of the fire...

* * *

Merlin ran headlong at the mirror.

_It worked once, _he told himself, _Why not now?_

Emrys saw what he was doing, and began sprinting towards the fallen king.

Merlin burst through the glass, into Camelot, catching up with Emrys just as he threw himself in the path of the flames...

* * *

The invisible shape solidified, becoming a person. Whoever it was fell to the ground, trying to beat out the flames that consumed them.

One of the knights rushed forwards with a pail of water, extinguishing the flames with a hiss.

Arthur ran forward to see who it was. A servant? One of the knights? but he already knew...

* * *

Merlin could hear voices, although he couldn't distinguish which ones were real and which were in his imagination. He guessed that the voices shouting to Gaius were real. But he couldn't be sure...

He forced his eyes open. Everything was a blur, and he was seeing double. He blinked rapidly, making his vision focus. Arthur was there, looking down on him. He had saved Arthur...he had stopped the wraiths...

"Merlin?"

Merlin tried to speak, but he could only manage a faint moan.

"No, Merlin, don't try to talk. Everything's going to be alright...we're going to take you to Gaius..." but from the look in Arthur's eyes, Merlin could tell that he was lying. Even Arthur knew that a being burnt like that would kill someone.

He was being lifted now, carried towards the city centre.

The lights were dancing before his eyes...

The darkness was calling to him...

"No, Merlin...don't die...please..."

All the colours were fading...

He could no longer hear what they were saying, just a vague sussuruss...

And then the darkness was so welcoming...

* * *

OKAY, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION MERLIN _IS _DEAD THIS TIME.

AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW, A SUSSURUSS MEANS A KIND OF FAINT WHISPERY BACKGROUND NOISE. IMAGINE WIND BLOWING THROUGH LONG GRASS. THAT'S A SUSSURUSS.

AND SORRY TO DISSAPOINT THOSE WHO WANTED THE WHOLE DEEP-AND-MEANINGFUL-CONVERSATION-BETWEEN-MERLIN-AN D-ARTHUR-WHILST-MERLIN-IS-DYING THING TO HAPPEN, BUT I PROMISE YOU THERE WILL BE TIME FOR DEEP AND MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS IN THE NEXT CHAPTER.

SEE YOU FOR THE FINALE...

PHANTOMPURPLEWOLF


	10. the true power of emrys

THE FINAL CHAPTER IS HERE!

I DON'T NORMALLY DO DEDICATIONS, BUT THIS IS ONE OF THOSE OCCASIONS. (OOH, THAT RHYMES!)

SO, THEY GO TO...

BLUE TURTLE OF AWESOMENESS (CO-WRITER OF CHAPTER 8), WHO SCREAMED AT ME FOR MY SLIGHTLY AU ENDING WHEN I TOLD HER WHAT IT WAS AND WAS THERE WHEN I FOUND THE REAL TREE THIRTY SEVEN (IT DOES EXIST. MORE ON THAT L8R),

RED DRAGON 009, FOR BEING A REALLY STRICT EDITOR AND MAKING ME GIVE HER LOLLIPOPS,

FELICITY P, FOR BEING THE FIRST PERSON EVER TO REVIEW,

MATTWILLIAMS1993, FOR BEING THE FIRST EVER PERSON TO FAV,

AGANA OF THE NIGHT AND WALLARUBY, FOR BEING MY FIRST FOLLOWERS,

AND TO ALL OF YOU OTHER AWESOME REVIEWERS, FAVERS AND FOLLOWERS!

* * *

Merlin's death - Arthur POV

"No, Merlin, don't try to talk. Everything's going to be alright...we're going to take you to Gaius..."

_No, it's not going to be alright...nothing is going to be alright... _Arthur thought, although he didn't actually say this aloud. He lifted Merlin from the ground with ease. He was so frail...it was almost like picking up a child.

They had barely walked three steps when his eyes started to cloud over.

"No, Merlin...don't die..._please..." _

But no matter how much he begged, he could do nothing.

His friend was gone.

* * *

Three Days Later

Arthur fought through the mists of the dream, trying to get past the fog to Merlin. It had been the same every night since his death...Arthur would eventually reach him, and sigh with relief

"Merlin! You're alive!"

And then Merlin would stare blankly and say

"No, Arthur...I'm still dead..."

His pale skin would fade to grey and his blue eyes would whiten, and all that would be left was a horribly scarred rotting corpse...

Tonight was different. This time it was Merlin who spoke first.

"Arthur! You made it! I'm sorry it took me so long to reach you..."

"But...you _died..._I saw you...the fire..."

"I know. I'm still dead."

"Then how are you talking to me? Is this even real?"

"Yes, this is very much real," replied Merlin, "it's just all in your head. Think of it as my spirit talking to you from beyond the grave. I have to speak to you when you're dreaming, otherwise you'd think you were going mad."

"I'm starting to think that I've _gone _mad."

"What would everyone think if they saw their king talking to something that wasn't there, and nobody else could see?"

"Good point." Arthur admitted. "So..._why _are you doing this?"

"You'll see. Follow me. The others are waiting."

"Others?" but before he could get a response, Merlin had started walking into the fog. Arthur raced to catch up with him, and found that he was standing outside a set of oak doors. The doors swung open, and they walked into a white room. There was no ceiling; just walls that went up and up forever. Several people were standing there talking, but when Merlin stepped up to them a hush fell over them.

"You can't be serious?" said a withered looking old man wearing red robes, "You're thinking of using _him?" _

_"_Why not?" said Merlin calmly, giving the man a cold stare.

"You just _can't! _It would go against everything we stand for!"

"Everything _you _stand for, Ganon. May I remind you that you did abolutely nothing, whilst I have risked my life on multiple occasions because of this?"

Ganon spluttered. "But...but...I had no idea what to do! I couldn't have done anything!"

"Yes you could. Elsie explained everything to you. You just chose to ignore her to save your own skin."

"You wanted me to die for _him? _Come on, Merlin, you said it yourself! He's a prat!"

"Why shouldn't you have died for him?" asked Merlin, glaring at him. "I did. Actually, so did the rest of us. We all helped in one way or another. And you had no business spying on me when I was alive."

"How did any of them help? They just held the title for a few years!"

"Unless I am very much wrong, Elsie threw herself in front of the royal carriage to stop it going into the forest when the bandits were there. She delayed them so that the criminals left and went to other parts of the country when the carriage didn't pass. Silas took an assassin's bolt intended for Ygraine. Rhys held off slave takers and died while doing so. If it wasn't for him, then the one we live to protect would have been sold like property and be scrubbing floors for some Lord or Baron somewhere. Yrene was the first, and even you must know what she did."

Ganon was silent for a while, before spitting:

"I wish I had chosen someone! At least then I wouldn't have to deal with you!"

"And why is that, Ganon? Do you find it irritating that I'm right?"

"You are _never _right! It was because of you that we were ever in this sorry situation!"

"Actually," spoke up one the others, a woman in a red dress - Elsie or Yrene - "Merlin _is _right. His idea is one of the best we've had in ages. Who better to protect Arthur than Arthur himself?"

"What on earth is happening?" said Arthur "Why do you have to protect me?"

They all tried to speak at the same time, and he couldn't quite catch what any of them were saying, but he heard "Albion" and "Emrys" somewhere.

"Stop! Just...one at a time, please."

"We have to protect you so that you can bring Albion," said one of them - Silas or Rhys - "You are the Once and Future King. We've been keeping your destiny in check ever since Yrene had the vision. She saw a great power named Albion that would change the world. She also saw several things that could prevent this happening, so she made a kind of spirit-double to protect it. She called the spirit-double Emrys. Emrys will go from person to person as each one dies, and the last one can either chose the next one, or Emrys will chose someone whose life will fit with what we need to do. Although _some of us" - _he shot a pointed glare at Ganon- " don't do what we need to. I chose Silas to be my replacement. He fulfilled it perfectly. It is our duty to make sure the vision comes true. If it didn't, then there's no telling what would happen. It was a stroke of luck when we got Merlin."

"Why? What's so special about Merlin?"

Silas-or-Rhys' eyes bulged. "You didn't _know?"_

"Didn't know _what?"_

"Merlin is-"

"_Shut up, Rhys..." _hissed Merlin.

"Oh, come on. It's hardly like he can do anything to you now! You're dead! And anyway, what were you going to tell him? _All those falling tree branches and rockslides and mystically halting arrows were just really lucky coincidences? _He may be a prat, but he's not _that _stupid!"

"I am here, you know!" said Arthur indignantly. "Just tell me already!"

"He's a - _Ow! _I've told you already, he needs to know! You're just being childish now!" By the looks of things, Merlin had just trodden on Rhys' foot. Merlin mumbled something incoherent, and Rhys rolled his eyes.

"I know you don't want to tell him, but...MERLIN IS A WARLOCK!" he blurted before anyone could stop him. "And I know that you hate me now Merlin, but it was necessary."

"What? He's a warlock? You've been lying to me all these years?"

Merlin looked down at his shoes. "I had to," he said quietly. "I would have been killed, especially when Uther was on the throne. If I died, then it could have taken the new Emrys years to find you, and by then it would be too late. You would have been killed as well."

"But..._I _wouldn't have killed you...you could have told me."

"No, but you would have never trusted me again. You could have exiled me, and what use is a protector when they're miles away?"

"I think that both Merlin and Rhys have left something off." interrupted..._Rhys? _That couldn't be right...Rhys was over there, and he had just talked about himself as a different person...

"No, I'm Silas," said the person who had interupted, as if reading Arthur's mind. "Rhys is my twin. That's partly why he chose me to succeed him as Emrys. But anyway, as I was saying, they both left something very important out. Do you remember when you went to fight the Great Dragon, and even though you failed to even scratch the dragon many times before, you alledgedly "delt him a mighty blow" with a wooden spear? You never even injured Kilgarrah - that's the dragon. It was Merlin, who was passed down the dragonlord's power when his father Balinor died. He spoke to the dragon that night, and persuaded him to spare Camelot. Unfortuneately, there are now no dragonlord's left, so if Kilgarrah attacks again, then you will be obliterated."

"Merlin was Balinor's _son?" _

"To quote you, Arthur, I am here. You can just ask me."

"I told you not to cry! I feel like such an idiot..."

"You're not to be blamed. You didn't know." said Merlin breezily.

"But...you've saved me and Camelot god knows how many times, and you never even took any credit for anything, or ever told anyone?"

"I couldn't really. I think that you're forgetting that magic is illegal in Camelot, and who would believe me anyway? Gaius knew, but he had known since my first day."

"I apologise for breaking up this whole getting-to-know-each-other-better session, but aren't we rather missing the point?" said Ganon coldly. Arthur had forgotten that he was there.

"We were planning on using you as the next Emrys." said Silas, "It was Merlin's idea. We all agree - well, not quite all, but it's a majority - so do you agree to do this?"

"I suppose...what do I have to do?"

"Not much. Not dying would be a good start. You won't feel any different. You'll just have more power. When you do die, Emrys will die with you, providing that you have brought Albion."

"One last thing," said the only one who had not spoken, a fair haired woman with red ribbons in her hair. "Emrys will always wear red. It's not for any particualar reason, it's just a kind of good luck charm. But you have your Camelot cloak, so you should be fine."

Arthur noticed it for the first time...Ganon's robes, the ribbons, Elsie-or-Yrene's dress, Merlin's neckerchief, Silas and Rhys' matching jackets...all red.

"I'll do it. I don't mind. If it's what Merlin wants me to do."

"You should go," said Merlin, "it's nearly morning. I'll talk to you tomorrow night. Goodbye, Arthur. And good luck."

"Goodbye, Merlin." said Arthur, walking out of the doors and back into the fog. He stood there for a minute, wondering if he should go back through the door, but just as he turned, he awoke.

The curtains were open and the light was streaming in through the window. He felt the power of Emrys inside him.

In the three days since losing Merlin, he finally felt that all was not lost after all.

* * *

AWWW! I SERIOUSLY NEARLY CRIED WRITING THAT LAST SENTENCE! LISTENING TO EMO MUSIC PROBABLY DIDN'T HELP...

AND THIS IS A BIG THING FOR ME!

MY FIRST EVER COMPLETED FANFIC! IT HAS SURVIVED WRITER'S BLOCK, TWO WEEKS ELECTRICITY LOSS, A PLOT CHANGE, AND AN AUTHOR NAME CHANGE!

ANYHOO, I PROMISED AN EXPLANATION ABOUT TREE THIRTY SEVEN, AND SO THERE SHALL BE ONE. WHEN WE WERE AT THIS RESIDENTIAL PLACE SOMEWHERE IN DEVON, ME AND BTOA WANDERED OFF INTO THE WOODS NEXT TO THE CABINS AND FOUND A TREE WITH XXXVII CARVED INTO IT. I ACTUALLY READ IT AS 312, THEN CORRECTED MYSELF AND SAID 37. AS FAR AS I KNOW, I HAVE NOT KILLED ANYONE OR BEEN POSESSED BY AN EVIL SPIRIT.

ANYHOO, I HAVE ANOTHER MERLIN FIC, ONE HUNDRED SONGFICS, SO Y'ALL MIGHT WANNA CHECK THAT OUT.

OH, AND Y'ALL MIGHT WANNA LISTEN TO P!ATD'S NORTHERN DOWNPOUR TO GET AN IDEA OF THE EMO-NESS OF THE SONG I HAD UP WHEN I FINISHED.

GOODBYE, FRIENDS, AND FARE THEE WELL.

PHANTOM PURPLE WOLF


End file.
